Get Up and Follow Jesus

For 2026, I am calling us to get up and follow Jesus. That isn’t new, but it is vital—especially in a season of transition. Regardless of human leaders or changing circumstances, the invitation remains the same: Follow me. It’s a call for those who have never answered, for those who once said yes and wandered, and for those who are still walking and need fresh courage or a holy letting go. Like Paul said, it’s no trouble to say this again; it’s a safeguard for us.

Jesus still initiates. He calls, and then waits for our response. In Matthew’s story, Jesus stopped at a tax booth—the last place you’d expect a rabbi to linger—and spoke two words: Follow me. Matthew rose and left everything. The language hints at resurrection. That’s what the call of Jesus does—it lifts us from the old life and starts something new. It’s not just about forgiveness or moral clean-up; it’s a full-life orientation. Confidence in Jesus, confession of our need, and commitment to his way. We move from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light and learn to live as citizens there.

Not everyone responds the same way. The Pharisees kept their distance, convinced that separation from sinners made them clean. Jesus didn’t deny that Matthew and his friends were sinners; he simply came as their physician. A doctor cannot heal from quarantine. The ones who know they’re sick draw near. Those who feel self-sufficient stand far off.

If we’re honest, it can feel easier to manage religion than to live in relationship. Rules give the illusion of control. But Jesus didn’t say, “Memorize my teachings and keep your distance.” He said, “Follow me.” You can build a religion around his words, but you only find life by coming with him. As C.S. Lewis pressed, we can’t call him a good teacher and ignore what he claimed. He is the Son of God, calling us not just to know about him, but to be with him.

So hear his invitation again. Maybe you’re curious from a distance. Maybe you’ve settled for a little Jesus added to your plan. Maybe you’re weary but faithful. He sees you. He wants you. Rise from the booth. Leave lesser loyalties. Let his call—not comfort, not fear—define your next step. When Jesus calls, choose to follow.

Key Takeaways

• 1. When Jesus calls, answer promptly. Delays often hide divided loyalties. Matthew rose at once, and that quick obedience became his doorway into a new life. We rarely get the full plan up front, but we do receive enough light for the next step. Obedience brings clarity; hesitation breeds confusion.
• 2. Following is relationship, not religion. Rules can manage behavior; only relationship changes the heart. Jesus invites us near, where proximity to him reshapes our patterns by the Spirit. Ask where performance is replacing presence, and let abiding—not achieving—be the center of your life with God.
• 3. Only the sick seek the Physician. The Pharisees missed grace because they misdiagnosed themselves. Naming our need is not weakness; it’s how healing begins. Repentance is trusting Jesus’ competence with our wounds more than our competence at hiding them.
• 4. Let his call define you. Matthew was known as a tax collector until Jesus named him a disciple. Following means releasing identities built on success, shame, or tribe to receive a truer name from Christ. This frees us to become witnesses—people whose changed lives point back to the One who called us.

1. In each passage, what are the exact words Jesus uses to summon Matthew/Levi, and what immediate actions does Matthew/Levi take in response?
2. What activity follows the call in both accounts (who comes to the meal, who objects), and which specific phrases does Jesus use to answer the complaint?
3. What metaphors or images appear in the responses (for example, “physician,” “sick,” “call the sinners”), and where does Matthew/Levi’s action language (e.g., “got up,” “left”) show up in the text?
4. Which groups in the story are portrayed as “near” and which as “far,” and how does the narrative show the difference between their responses?

1. What might the author mean by using the verb “got up” or “rose” to describe Matthew/Levi’s response? How does that choice of language help explain the change Jesus initiates?
2. When Jesus calls himself a physician and says the sick need him, what is implied about the Pharisees’ self-understanding and about Jesus’ mission toward those labeled “sinners”?
3. How does Jesus’ willingness to eat with tax collectors function theologically and socially in the passage? What point is he making about where salvation and community are found?
4. In what way is following presented as a relationship rather than a set of rules in these passages? What elements in the story point more to belonging than to behavior modification?

1. The sermon said delays often hide divided loyalties. What is one decision you’ve delayed about following Jesus that might actually reveal a competing loyalty (career, comfort, reputation, political identity, etc.)? What is one concrete next step you can take this week to “get up” toward Jesus?
2. Where in your faith life are you tempted to manage religion (rules, appearances, checklist) instead of cultivating relationship (presence, dependence, regular time with Jesus)? Identify one habit you will stop and one small habit you will start this week to move from performance to presence.
3. The Pharisees thought they were “fine” and kept distance. Name a situation or relationship where you’ve convinced yourself you don’t need Jesus’ help. How would admitting need change how you act this week (a prayer, a confession to someone, seeking counsel)?
4. Matthew was known by one identity (tax collector) until Jesus gave him a new name (disciple). Is there an identity you cling to that Jesus might be calling you to release (success, shame, family role, political label)? What would it look like practically to let that go and live with your identity as a follower?
5. The sermon invited us to let Jesus’ call—not comfort or fear—define our next step. What is one risky, specific way you can obey that call in the next 7 days (invite someone marginalized to your home, attend a worship service you normally avoid, begin a short daily time of confession and listening, sign up to serve)?
6. Who is one person in your life that seems “curious from a distance” about Jesus? What is one very specific way you will invite them closer this month (coffee, a meal, a text asking if you can pray for them)?
7. Pray and reflect: write a short sentence as your honest response to Jesus’ “Follow me” this week (for example: “I will stop protecting my reputation and start admitting need,” or “I will leave my comfort and visit ___”). Be prepared to share this with a trusted person in the group or to keep it as a private accountability step.